More Beginning Builder Questions:

[Red52]

Several questions:

1. Can someone either explain the steps or point me in the direction of good instructions for how to align prims?  I am using the latest version of Firestorm, and have watched a couple of YouTube videos and searched the Firestorm Help sections but can't seem to get the hang of it or find good info :-(

2. When linking prims, how do I get groups of linked prims to all link?  I often get a message saying the prims are too far apart to link, but know there must be a way because houses with many prims often rez in one piece;

3. Why did SL stop using megaprims?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Red52

[Pamela Galli]

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Red52 wrote:

Several questions:

1. Can someone either explain the steps or point me in the direction of good instructions for how to align prims?  I am using the latest version of Firestorm, and have watched a couple of YouTube videos and searched the Firestorm Help sections but can't seem to get the hang of it or find good info :-(

2. When linking prims, how do I get groups of linked prims to all link?  I often get a message saying the prims are too far apart to link, but know there must be a way because houses with many prims often rez in one piece;

3. Why did SL stop using megaprims?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Red52

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Are you using the Align function in Edit?

The prim centers cannot be more than something like 54 m apart, maybe a bit more now.  You cannot link more than 256. # of Prims and distance between them are not the same thing.

A megaprim was a hack back when no prim could be more than 10 m. Now they can be 64 m. Ppl still use megaprims for larger that 64 m.

[Rolig Loon]

For linkability,  the only things that matter are the number of prims and the bounding sphere of the collection of prim centers. The linkability rule can be written as:

 LINKABLE = D < 54  AND  N ≤ 256 where D = diameter of the smallest bounding sphere of the collection of prim centers and N = number of prims in the collection

And as far as megaprims are concerned, Pam is right. Linden Lab never supported megaprims.  They were a hack that was exploited during two very brief periods -- each about a month long -- before LL closed the window that made them possible.  During those two periods, enterprising residents created a huge array of megaprims in various sizes and released them to the community. You can still find them in freebie packets in world and in Marketplace and, of course, you can copy any that you find. The only ones that anyone uses now are the ones that have a dimension larger than 64m.  When Linden Lab increased the maximum size for "normal" prims from 20m to 64m, people had no need for the smaller megaprims. 

So why didn't LL make the maximum size even bigger than 64m and make even the larger megaprims obsolete?  For two big reasons: (1) larger prims create more of a challenge for the physics engine in the server software, so it's harder to calculate collisions, and (2) larger prims are more likely to lap over parcel and sim boundaries, increasing disputes between residents and creating navigation problems.  Large megaprims already cause those problems.  LL decided not to encourage people to use even more prims that size.

 

[Pamela Galli]

I of course have never fully understood the linkability rules except for a few fleeting seconds but I do know that link order has some effect. Tiny things should be linked in a certain way, forget how exactly now. I just recently was able to link my largest house into one object, whereas a few days before I had not been able to. 

[Madelaine McMasters]

Hi Red,

You got the limits and history of linking from Pam and Rolig, and Pam mentioned the alight function. I'll let ex-Linden Qarl explain that...

Have fun!

[Yingzi Xue]

Here's a three video series on how to use the grid for perfect alignment every time.  It wouldn't let me link the playlist, so I'm putting the URL here (

) and adding in the first video below.

 

[Robert Galland]

Large houses with more than one link set can rezz as "one" structure through the use of rezzing products.  Builders place scripts in each house section or link set which records the relative position of root prims to each other before you stuff a copy of the complete house in the rezz box.   SL Magic

[Red52]

Hi Pamela - thanks for all the info.  Yes - I am using the Align function in Edit.  I didn't know about the spacing and limit of # of prims that can be linked, so thanks for that.

Red52

[Red52]

Thanks Rolig, for all the info. although I don't understand the linkability rule :-(  Scripting is something I have not learned anything about, so it is all greek to me at this point.

The megaprim history is interesting and you answered several questions I have about them.  I was wondering if a sim could support them and if they would 'act right' when used.  I have picked up free packs along the way, and will experiment with them, and modify as necessary.

Red52

[Red52]

Okay - I will look for this info in my 'travels.' :-)

Red52

[Red52]

Hi Madelaine,  thanks for passing along this video, however, I have watched it a lot!  I still can't seem to get the hang of it, altho it looks so easy in the video :-(

Red52

[Rolig Loon]

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Red52 wrote:

Thanks Rolig, for all the info. although I don't understand the linkability rule :-(  Scripting is something I have not learned anything about, so it is all greek to me at this point.

[ .... ]

Red52

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Fortunately for you, then, scripting has nothing to do with it.  As Pam and I said, it's all a matter of how many prims are in a linkset (fewer than 256) and how far apart they can be (no more than 54m between the farthest ones).  :smileywink:

Years ago, the sizes of the prims made a difference too, but that hasn't been true for quite a while.

[Red52]

Hi Yingzi - thank you so much for these videos!  I am about halfway through them and will bookmark them as a great resource.

Red52

[Red52]

Thank you, Robert!  I had no idea this is how they did that - never heard of it (probably because I don't build a lot :-)

What would I look for in the MP that does this?

Red52

[Robert Galland]

Hi Red:

 

There are quite a few products out there.  I use one still that I am not sure is available after 7.5 years - Jack in the Box.  Rezz Foo and Rezz Faux are names you may see.  If Builder's Buddy is still available, it was free when I last looked into this.  I believe Casper products has a rezz box product as well. I use there vendors, but not the rezz boxes.

It's been awhile since I researched the products out there.

[Red52]

Thanks, Robert!  I do have a copy of Builder's Buddy - I'll try that first.

Take care,

Red52